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MADISON, Wis. - Dane County officials secured $1.6 million in federal funding to help reduce phosphorus pollution in the Yahara Chain of Lakes, according to a release.

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, along with representatives from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, Clean Lakes Alliance, Sand County Foundation, Yahara WINs and the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced the new Resource Conservation Partnership Program awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Services.

"Cleaning our lakes is a priority for our community, and accomplishing our shared vision of better waters for the enjoyment of generations to come, will take committed partners and collaboration," Parisi said in the release. "As we saw in successfully competing for this federal program, we have the right people working together to get this job done."

Dane County has also committed $10 million in the county budget for projects aimed at reducing phosphorus and clean local waters.

Dane County and its partners were one of 600 projects that applied for the federal funding, according to the release. The proposal for work in the Yahara Watershed was one of four projects funded in Wisconsin.

Conservation staff will be visiting with farmers and partners in the watershed to identify the scope of these projects, with work beginning this summer, officials said.